A Message to the Bard Community about Planning for the Fall Semester
Following the successful completion of the spring semester, Bard’s Covid-19 Response Team is now focused on planning the gradual reopening of the campus and the safe resumption of in-person teaching and campus life in the fall. Our priorities remain the health and safety of our diverse group of students, faculty, and staff, and delivering an outstanding academic experience that is accessible to all students and is in close coordination with the community.
The Hudson Valley Region of NY has entered phase two of the state’s reopening schedule, which allows us to begin welcoming our administrative staff back to campus. We are now preparing for the resumption of some library services and incremental opening of laboratories, with the application of health and safety protocols mandated by New York State reopening guidelines.
Our comprehensive planning for the fall semester takes into account the need to enable students and faculty to return to campus while also supporting those who may not be able to return right away. Faculty are developing a variety of class formats so that all of our students can continue their coursework, regardless of location.
Pending approval from New York State, we intend to begin our fall semester in accordance with our previously announced schedule, beginning the Language and Thinking program for incoming 1st-year students on August 10, with the full student body starting classes on August 31. In the coming weeks we will share more details about student orientation and staggered arrivals of students to campus, as well as testing and health protocols that will be required of returning students, faculty, and staff.
We are looking forward to returning to the classroom and the continuation of Bard’s unique and rigorous academic program. With the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and members of the community at the forefront of our planning, adjustments to facilities and operations will be necessary. Working groups on the Response Team are developing detailed plans for academics, student life, campus operations, health services, dining, athletics, and safety and security. Bard is consulting with Nuvance Health, which operates nearby Northern Dutchess Hospital, to ensure access to testing and ongoing guidance on health-related planning. New protocols are being established for most aspects of campus life, such as the use of social distancing and personal protective equipment across the campus. We intend to remain flexible as we adapt classrooms to meet these protocols. Our small class sizes and spacious campus offer an advantage in applying social distancing, and we are considering adjustments to class scheduling and utilizing alternative teaching spaces.
As we adapt to this new environment, our focus on helping students pursue their individual academic interests will not change. President Botstein will continue to hold weekly Virtual Open Houses for all students throughout the summer, and a wide variety of student services, from career development to mental health counseling, will continue to be available online - and in person to the extent possible as the campus reopens. Faculty remain in regular contact with their students through informal reading groups and independent projects, the Bard Summer Research Institute has been adapted to support both student and faculty needs, and summer advising for entering first-year students will begin in earnest as we move into July.
From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the Bard community has demonstrated great resilience, commitment, and creative spirit here in Annandale and across our global network. That commitment and spirit, along with careful planning and adherence to health guidelines, will guide us moving forward. The planning work in which we are now engaged is complex and challenging, and we are grateful for the patience, flexibility, dedication, and support of our colleagues, students, and community.
Please continue to check Bard's COVID-19 Response page and Bard Connects for a wide array of services and engagement opportunities, including the opportunity to become a contact tracer for the Mid-Hudson Region. It is an important time for us to reflect on the evolving social and political context of Bard’s educational work in the United States and around the world. In that spirit, we invite you to review two new initiatives at the College: “Reflecting on the Moment: Conversations on Racial Equity and Justice,” and “Faculty Perspectives: Conversations with President Botstein in the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Both series are on the Dean of the College website.
If you have any specific questions prior to our next update, please contact us at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
[email protected]
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily Mclaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].